


Draw Me, Don't Look Away

by big_slug



Series: Montauk: Beyond Hawkins [8]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Art, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Cuddling & Snuggling, Drawing, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Nudity, they're seventeen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-11
Updated: 2019-11-11
Packaged: 2021-01-29 00:21:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21401071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/big_slug/pseuds/big_slug
Summary: Will has drawn his boyfriend many times before. Just not like this.You should read the first work in the series to fully understand.
Relationships: Will Byers/Original Male Character(s)
Series: Montauk: Beyond Hawkins [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1464226
Comments: 5
Kudos: 57





	Draw Me, Don't Look Away

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah, this is just a little one-shot I've been wanting to do for a while. I'll stick by my previous statement. I won't write smut with these two babies. This really is an exercise in doing something hot without being explicit. Enjoy.

**September 1988**

There is no reason to fret. No reason to feel even a hint of nervous tension. Not after three years, not after this _very _eventful summer. Will does fret, though, just because the act of even _asking _seems to be the hard part about it all. Normally, things just happen, and Will supposes that‘s how it works for any couple he could think of, straight or queer. _‚Things just happen‘ _in this context means, of course, that it often starts just with cuddling. In bed, on the couch in the attic, or wherever you can spend an afternoon in privacy. Shirts end up discarded. So do sweatpants and briefs, and then, oh well... Or, alternatively, there is a tension lingering beforehand, for whatever reason. In that case, everything happens in a sort of desperate blur of longing.

But _this? _This is different, and though Will has been thinking about doing it for years, he could never bring himself to ask Adrian. He has what essentially amounts to an entire sketchbooks of drawings he made of his boyfriend, but this wide collection is still missing something. And now, Will even has a good reason. One that isn‘t entirely personal.

„Anyone still in there?“ Adrian giggles from across the cafeteria table, snapping his fingers. „Are you zoning out on me?“

Will realizes he has been gawking at his boyfriend‘s face like a brain-dead idiot. Scrutinizing his perfect angles that are, sadly, going to lose their tan and freckles in the near future, as they do every year when fall rolls around.

„I‘ve just been thinking.“ Will smiles nervously. He blinks at Adrian, then at his hamburger that he has only taken one bite of.

„Alright. Then don‘t leave me hanging.“

The cafeteria is abuzz with conversation around them, and this includes El and Melissa right next to the boys, both lost in fantasies of nail polish and sneakers, or whatever. Will can‘t really pay attention. He takes a look around to check if anyone is listening, or even just looking at them. He actually hopes they are being watched, but Will finds no excuse for _not _asking. Why is this so hard?

„You know how I want to get my first college applications ready by next month or so?“

Adrian grins. „How many art schools are there on the east coast, anyways?“

„More than you‘d know. I think my portfolio is pretty good, but-“

„But?“ Adrian stifles a burst of laughter. „There is no _but _in this!“

Now, it‘s Will‘s turn to laugh. Heartily. Adrian has no idea how right he is with this. He could not have wished for a better cue. „That‘s- that‘s kinda the problem.“ he chuckles. „I could use your help.“

„What, because your art is so damn amazing? Want me to make it worse so it doesn‘t look like you‘re a little cheat? Like your mom did your homework for you?“

„No, you don‘t get it.“ Will takes a few breaths, in and out. He goes on quieter than before, careful not to let anyone else hear. „You said it yourself. There‘s no _buts_. No... no butts. Jeez, what a lame pun. Anyways, if I want to get into MECA-“

„Or Yale...“

„Or Yale.“ Will shrugs, blushing a bit, because he doesn‘t believe he could ever make it there, no matter what his art teacher has to say in praise of his work. „If I want to make it into any of these places, I should include at least one... life drawing, I guess.“

The words linger between them for a few seconds. Then, Adrian leans closer over the table. If they weren‘t out in public, Will would now lean in for a kiss. The urge is there. „So, you got all nervous about asking me if you could draw me naked?“

„It‘s-“ Will coughs into his fist. He clears his throat. „It‘s your decision. Y‘know, I couldn‘t just ask anyone. You could keep your briefs on if you‘re uncomfortable.“

At that, Adrian‘s voice turns into a teasing whisper. At least he is careful to protect their secret, but damn, he‘s going to be the death of Will at that rate. „Yeah, I bet you could draw the rest from memory. But this is important enough to be done properly. When do we do it?“

„You actually want to do it?“

„Why the hell not? It‘s nothing you haven‘t seen already. When? This week, next week, today, I don‘t care.“ Adrian demands.

Overwhelmed by how easy this turned out, Will doesn‘t even get the question at first. „S-Saturday. Saturday, I guess. My mom won‘t be home until three.“

„Fine with me.“ Adrian shrugs. „As long as you promise me your mom won‘t find the drawing. That would be awkward.“ He goes back to dedicating his attention to his burger and fries after that, leaving Will a bit speechless. Maybe they‘re different in that regard, but Will himself still thinks looking without touching and being touched would be somewhat embarrassing.

* * *

His mom leaves for work before even the break of day, so there is plenty of time to prepare. And not a lot of preparing to do. Will chooses the attic, mainly because it has no windows, so lighting won‘t change as the morning progresses. He sets up his easel, but isn‘t entirely sure if he is actually going to use it. Sure, artists are somehow expected to, but Will never was entirely comfortable with the upright position and nowhere to rest his arm. The thing still gives him a burst of confidence, as the attic now looks like a proper studio. Professional.

„Looks like it‘s already your job.“ Adrian comments when he climbs up the latter, much to Will‘s delight. The attic is sporting stacks of drawings and sketches anyways, especially on the ancient desk Will has put up last year, so that probably adds to the impression.

„Yeah, well, I want to make it my job.“

„Fair enough. But this?“ Will‘s bathrobe, that he has put on the couch for Adrian to use, is obviously amusing to him.

„That‘s how it works, right?“ Will shrugs. „The model walks into the room, drops the bathrobe, everyone goes to work.“

„Yeah, everyone.“ Adrian snickers. „The crowd is already going crazy, huh?“

„Okay, I think the bathrobe is for... dignity, I guess? Like, it‘s easier than slipping of jeans in front of everyone.“

Adrian shrugs, smiling sweetly at Will. „Yeah, but we‘re long past that. Thank god.“ His relaxed voice, washing away Will‘s tension, makes Adrian as irresistible as ever. Will claws into his shirt when they kiss, wondering if he can actually pull this off without many, _many, _breaks.

„Is this professional?“ Will breathes.

„Don‘t care.“ Adrian mumbles against his lips. „We‘ve got all morning.“

Will decidedly pulls back from his boyfriend then. „You‘re right. All morning to earn your reward.“

„And what would that be?“

„Yeah, you‘d like to know, huh?“

„Should we get started, then?“ Adrian says lightly. „I‘ve actually been looking forward to this. Maybe I‘m about to discover my inner exhibitionist, who knows?“ He doesn‘t wait for Will‘s approval, and nonchalantly pulls his shirt over his head. Will turns his gaze away.

„Seriously?“

„Yes, seriously. If I want to get anything done, I have to see you as a model. And I wouldn‘t watch a model undress.“ His back turned to Adrian, he can still hear, though. Articles of clothing, one after the other, hit the floor. And Will can‘t help but count.

„I wouldn‘t mind you being naked for this as well.“ Adrian muses while his belt buckle clicks.

„Only appropriate if we were doing porn. Which we‘re not. This is about art.“

„Huh, next week maybe. Okay, done. You can turn around, Picasso.“

Will‘s resolve about being stoically professional comes under heavy attack when he does, for obvious reasons. He is not prepared, his defenses aren‘t up because subconsciously he doesn‘t want them to be. Maybe he should have just paid a professional model. Or maybe he should have gone into this with a different premise. How many times did he wake up at night, fingers twitching, ready to capture another image of Adrian spread in his sheets, snoring softly? Should he have been more spontaneous about it?

„Thank god it‘s warm up here. Are you going to stare until your mom gets home?“ the other boy teases, without even the hint of a blush. „Or could you just tell me what to do? I gotta do a pose, right?“

Will desperately tries to tear his gaze away from the unblemished tan skin, from perfect proportions that just deserve to be immortalized in a work of art, but only manages after several seconds. „Uh, yeah. I thought we try a standing pose.“ He shows Adrian to an art lexicon on the coffee table. It‘s got a wide selection of photos of more or less famous statues either from ancient times or the Renaissance. „I mean, I‘d rule some of these out because they‘re too exhausting over time. Like Augustus of Prima Porta. But what about Michelangelo‘s David? Or, if you wanna sit or show less of... of yourself, The Thinker.“

„How about this one?“ Adrian suggests with a point of his finger.

„Victorious Youth. Challenging...“ Will muses. „Do you think you can hold that one without support?“ It would involve Adrian raising one arm, fingers pointed at his temple. Enough to make anyone sore within twenty minutes.

„Are you stalling?“

„No, I-“

„Good. Let‘s get started.“

And they do get started, with Adrian assuming his pose, struggling a bit in the process, and Will sitting down on his little stool. Adrian keeps his eyes trained on the photo, but only until Will tells him „Don‘t try to get it perfect. Be comfortable. I‘m drawing _you, _not the statue.“ After that, he relaxes himself and immediately looks more comfortable.

To Will, it‘s perfect. He is usually quick to lose himself in his work, and today is no exception. Well, maybe with an underlying sense of desire that he has to keep in check, because he seriously likes what he is seeing. Adrian is one of the taller kids in school, not NBA-tall, but by Montauk-average, it‘s enough to absolutely dominate in basketball. Which he does, at least twice a week. And it shows in the way he is growing into himself more and more. In the confidence of his every movement. The broadness of his shoulders.

And, to be honest, when Will looks into the mirror after a shower, he has come to enjoy that view as well. He is doing his best in track team, and track team is doing its best on him. Long gone are the days when he would awkwardly stumble over his own feet, or bump into door frames and furniture when being careless. Instead of being just thin as a twig, he at least feels like a strong twig now.

Adrian doesn‘t complain once about his pose and keeps as still as humanly possible throughout the morning. Will, meanwhile, doesn‘t have the time to wonder how, as his hand keeps on flying across the thick paper, entranced and precise at the same time, even when he gets to certain parts of his boyfriend‘s anatomy that would usually stir something up in him. _But this is just a body_, Will thinks. _An exceptionally perfect body, but still_. He pays attention to shadows, outlines of muscles, finding it to be a fun challenge. Drawing an organic subject is an entirely different experience from drawing, say, architecture. Closer to a plant, but not in a scenic kind of way. Few hard edges, more soft transitions and curves, frighteningly well balanced.

Will ends up with two drawings, one frontal, and one the other way around, and he thinks while not perfect, only an idiot wouldn‘t realize that lack of perfection isn‘t the model‘s fault. „Flattering.“ Adrian remarks upon inspection of Will‘s work. In the end, he has opted for the bathrobe; According to him, it feels nice and soft on his skin. „I know you‘ve been told before, but you‘re gonna make it far with this.“

Will tugs his bottom lip under his teeth and chews. „Y-You think?“ Finally, he lays his pencil to rest to shake off the built up tension in his right arm. That is something he seriously has to work on, unless he wants to end up in slight pain after a long drawing session. Something else he likely won‘t shed is this raw feeling of vulnerability. Like every stroke of the pencil lets the world take part in the many things Will feels. He is exposed.

Adrian senses this. „Sit with me?“

All too gladly, Will lets himself be tugged gently to the couch. „I love you, you know that? Are you sore?“

„Just my arm.“

Will slides a hand under the bathrobe, then from Adrian‘s shoulder down his upper arm, where he carefully begins massaging. The response he gets is a comfortable sigh, followed by a slow, lazy assault on his lips. „So we can stop being professional now?“

„You bet.“ Immediately, a hand under Will‘s shirt, on the bare skin of his lower stomach, elicits a hissing gasp from him.

Now, there is a possessive glint to his boyfriend‘s eyes. „Good. Because I really think I deserve a reward now.“


End file.
